Game apparatus



J. HAMPSON. GAME APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED JULY7, I921.

Patented Sept. 5, 1922.

Patented Sept. 5, 1922 it? N t l JOHN HAMISON, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

GAME APPARATUS.

.Application filed July 7, 1921. Serial No. 483,043.

(GRANTED UNDER, THE rsovrsrons or THE acr or naacn s, 1921, 41 star. n, 1313.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN I-IAMrsoN, a subject of the King of Great Britain and he land, residing at 9 Campden IIill Gardens, London, IV. S., England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Game Apparatus (for which I have filed application for patent in England, No. 161,757, 5 February, 1920), of which the following is a specification.

This invention'refers to game apparatus and relates more particularly to apparatus of the class in question for playing a race game in which the horses or other moving figures are drawn along by means of cords wound upon suitable devices adapted to be operated by the players. The playing'surface may comprise a table or. the like, a lawn or the deck of a ship, or any other suitable surface.

In games of this type it has been proposed to provide the winding spindle with a skele ton drum having a number of removable bars formed with an undulating edge, the bars being arranged to produce a certain amount of lateral slip, which provides for the uncertainty of the speed of travel of the models. i

In some cases the spindle on which the cord is wound is rotated in a chamber into which foreign bodies are introduced which are caught up in the coils of the winds to cause the model to be drawn in more rapidly. I

In these constructions, however, there is no movement or manipulation of the fitting or the like supporting the winding spindle or drum.

According to my present invention,I provide toreach oi? the] players, a device or fitting adapted to be rocked or manipulated,

said fitting having a spindle operated by a handle and carrying a drum or the like having an irregular surface, so that considerable skill is necessitatedon the partiofthe player in manipulating his device in vorder to cause the horse or other model tobe movedwith the maximum velocity. C

In one particular construction according to my invention, I provide a stirrup'shaped fitting, upon a holder and' this holder preferably comprises a'b'racket or baseflplatebent at right angles and fitt-ed. with a suitable handle which isheld in an inverted position and a" leg or the like, so that it can be rested over' and against theedge of the table upon which the game is being played, or the bracket may be supported on a suitable pedestal, on a lawn or other surfaces on'whioh the models are caused to travel.

Rotatably mounted in bearingsin the said stirrupshaped fitting'is a spindle, furnished with an operating handle beyond one of the bearings.

Suitably formed or mounted on the said spindle is the device upon which the cord is to be wound, and in the preferred construction, thisis of double conical form, withthe bases of the cones, adjacent one another.

Discs or flanges may be provided between the conical-surfaces and the bearings to prevent the cord being drawn into the bearings.

lVith this construction, the end of the cord is attached to the winding device, for instance, at the point between the two conical surfaces, and the cord is woundup drawing the figure in with it by turning the handle. It will be obvious thatthere is a tendency for the cord to roll down the conical surface on one side or the other of the maximum diameter and consequently 'to decrease the speed with which the figure is moved and the skill of the player issbrought into play by so manipulating the device car- Tying the winding mechanism that/the cord is always kept over'the conicalsurface of the largest diameter.

In order that the invention may be readily understood reference is made to the accompany ng drawing in wh1ch; v

Fig. 11s a side view and Fig. 2 a plan "of one form of the apparatus for playing a ameyaccording tothe iiiv'ention.

Fig. 3is an endview ofFig; 1, seen from the right. i

Fig. 4 and Fig. 5 are'perspective views of two modified, constructions oi the apparatus.

According to the invention, eachoi": the

players is provided with'a device shown in the drawings, which COIHPIISGS a stirrup shaped fitting or frame having a handle portion and supports carrying 'a drum,

roller or its equivalent operated by a suit- I able handle.

In the construction'shown in Fig. 1, the frame is bent to the-required shape from a singlestrip of metalof suitable construction,

the ends a of the strip extending upwardly at a suitable distance apart to form bearings for a spindle Z). The spindle Z) is provided at one end with a cranked handle 6 and with a drum like portion (Z located centrally between the members a. This drum like portion Z) may be of any desired irregular shape, but is preferably formed cylindrical at the centre and conical at the ends as shown in the drawings. The spindle 5 also has fixed thereto, just on the inner side of the bearings, a disc or plate f, serving to retain thecord g on the winding portion of the spindle. The ends a of the frame are bent inwardly towards one another at h and then rearwardly at 2' to form a handle 70, a binding clip or ring it being preferably employed to secure the two parts together at the handle as shown. The aortion i immediately behind the stirrup siaped frame a, Z) is also provided with a depending leg rod or strip m, for a purpose hereinafter more fully described.

The apparatus is used in the following manner The end of the cord is attached to the cylindrical portion of the winding device, as for instance by passing the same through a hole therein. The opposite end of the cord ispassed through an eye or similar device secured to a model which'may have the form of a horse, vehicle or any other device to be drawn along a table or other surface. This end of the cord may be extended back to the fitting and tied or otherwise secured to a stationary portion thereof. The stirrup shaped frame is now supported against the edge of the table n or the like, so that the leg or the like m forms a fulcrum about which the whole frame'ma-y be rocked in a horizontal plane. The player now rotates the spindle by the handle 0 and in doing so uses his best endeavours to retain the windings or coils of the cord on the central portion of the winding spindle. The cord will of course have a tendency to ride down the conical endsof the winding drum and the player has to manipulate the frame, so as to guide the cord onto the portion of the spindle of larger diameter,so that for each rotation of the crank handle, 0, the maximum length of cord will be wound up. or drawn in, thus causing the model to approach the device at a greater speed.

In the construction shown in Fig. i, the

.frameis formed of sheet metal, the depending leg m being stamped out of the body of the handle whilst the ends a are bent at a to extend upwardly to support the vwinding device.

Z) provided with the operating handle 0 whilst its lower end is pivoted to a rod 0 passing through lugs in the forked end of the portion and is also provided with a centrally disposed projecting leg m Vhen the apparatus is being used, the pressure of the leg m against the edge of the table or other surface maintains the winding spindle in the correct position, the portion 7t, 70 of the stirrup shaped frame abutting against the under surface of the forked ends of the handle portion 70 whilst when the device is to be packed away, the pivotal connection between the two parts permits the device being folded substantially flat, as shown in dotted lines.

, In some cases a device may be formed in which a base plate is provided adapted to be clamped to the edge of a table or the like, and furnished with a standard, over which fits a tubular socket or the like carrying the stirrup shaped fitting, which fitting is in that case provided with a separate handle or equivalent enabling it to be turned from side to side on the fixed standard, so as to enable the player to vary the angle at which the cord is drawn in.

It will be evident that in place of providing two adjacent conical surfaces, two flat wedge shaped surfaces may be provided or other irregular surfaces, requiring skill on the part of the player as well as quickness in winding in the cord.

In connection with the apparatus, for marking the ztarting and winning lines or posts, I may provide weighted tapes or the like, whi 311 may be white or coloured, the weights being preferably adjustable, so that they can be adjusted over the edges of the table or the like as may be required.

It will be evident that the details of construction of the apparatus may be varied considerably without departing from the principle of the invention. 7

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent in America 1S 1. Apparatus for playing race games, comprising in combination a stirrup shaped fit ting carrying a rotatable spindle provided at one end with a handle and having a por- I tion of its length formed as an irregular surface, a flexible member attached to a model and at one end to said spindle and support- 1 g means for said fitting permitting the same to be manipulated 111 a horizontal plane during rotation of the spindle.

2. Apparatus for playing race games, comprising in combination, a fitting provided with bearings, a spindle rotatable in said bearings, a handle at one end of said spindle, a drum having an irregular surface on said spindle, a flexible member connected at one end to said drum and operatively connected to a model, a supporting member on said fitting, said member having a depending leg adapted to enable the device to be supported on and manipulated in a horizontal plane with respect to a surface over which said model is to travel.

3. Apparatus for playing race games, comprising in combination, a fitting having a handle portion and a stirrup shaped fitting, a rotatable spindle supported in bearings, in the sides of said fitting, a cylindrical surface on said spindle located between said bearings and having its ends reduced and tapered, a flexible cord attached at one end to said cylindricalsurface and operatively connected to a model, a handle at one end of said spindle, and supporting means for said fitting permitting the same to be rocked with respect to a playing surface over which the model is caused to travel.

4;. Apparatus for playing race games, comprising in combination, a fitting having a handle portion and a stirrup shaped portion, bearings in said stirrup portion, a rotatable spindle in said bearings, an irregular surface in said spindle formed by a cylindrical central portion and reduced and conical end portions, a flexible cord attached to said spindle and operatively connected to a model adapted to travel over a playing surface, a handle on one end of said spindle and supporting means for said fitting permitting the same to be rocked for the purposes set forth.

5. Apparatus for playing race games, comprising a fitting having a handle a stirrup shaped member, pivotally connected to said fitting, a spindle rotatably supported in said a member, a handle at one end of said spindle, an irregular surface on said spindle, supporting means forsaid fitting, permitting same to be rocked with relation to a playing surface, and a flexible cord attached to said spindle, and to a model to be drawn over said playing surface.

6. Apparatus for playing race games, comprising a playing surface, a fitting having a handle, supporting means for said fitting, permittin thesame to be rocked in a plane, substantia y parallel with said playing surface, a spindle rotatably supported in said fitting means for rotating said spindle, a drum having reduced conical ends on said spindle, disks on the spindle at theends of the drum and a flexible cord attached at one end to said spindle and operatively connected to a model adapted to travel over said playing surface, when said spindle is rotated.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

London22 June 1921.

JOHN HAMPSON. 

